Wesley Brian Kaster, Arson, Missouri 2019

A Columbia man has pleaded guilty to arson at a Planned Parenthood clinic in February 2019.

Wesley Brian Kaster, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of maliciously using explosive materials to damage a building owned by an organization that receives federal financial assistance, and one count of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

Kaster admitted to manufacturing a Molotov cocktail and throwing it into the Columbia Health Center, located at 711 N. Providence Road, on February 10, 2019.

The Columbia Fire Department responded to the scene at approximately 4:10 a.m. and collected evidence.

Kaster remained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on March 2, 2019.

Under federal statutes, Kaster is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 21 years in federal prison without parole.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the FBI.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/columbia-man-pleads-guilty-arson-planned-parenthood-clinic